Electrical connector assembly

ABSTRACT

AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY IS DISCLOSED AS COMPRISING TWO CONNECTOR MEMBERS HAVING ALIGNABLE ELECTRICAL TERMINALS, INTEGRAL ALIGNMENT MEMBERS FOR ALIGNING THE ELECTRICAL TERMINALS PRIOR TO THEIR ENGAGEMENT, INTEGRAL LATCHING MEMBERS FOR LOCKING THE CONNECTOR MEMBERS IN ENGAGEMENT, AND A SPRING TO SEPARATE THE CONNECTOR MEMBERS UNLESS THEY ARE LOCKED IN ENGAGEMENT.

1972 R. J. HANSON 3,706,067

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY INVENTOR.

- @t/mra'f/Vanson ZQQXM ATTORNEY 3,706,067 ELECTRICAL C NNECTOR ASSEMBLY Richard .I. Hanson, Warren, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich. Filed Dec 11, 1970, Ser. No. 97,129 Int. Cl. H01r 13/54, 13/62, 13/64 US. Cl. 339-45 M 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to electrical connector assemblies and more particularly to electrical connector assemblies which look in engagement to maintain an electrical connection.

The connector members of an electrical connector assembly are commonly maintained in engagement by looking mechanisms. However, internal frictional forces be- United States Patent tween connector members prior to locked engagement can maintain the connector members in engagement and result in electrical connections. Under such circumstances, it may not be apparent to the assembler that the connector members are unlocked, and the assembly when subsequently in use may receive sufiicient vibrational and separating forces to separate the connector members and break the electrical connection.

The electrical connector assembly according to the present invention separates unless the connector members are locked in engagement. The assembly employs alignment members integral with the connector members to align the electrical terminals of the connector members during engagement, latching members integral with the alignment members for looking the connector members in engagement, and a spring on one of the connector members to separate the connector members unless they are locked in engagement. Thus, the assembler knows immediately when the connector members are not locked in engagement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector assembly.

Another object is to provide an electrical connector assembly wherein the connector members separate and the electrical connection is broken when the connector members do not lock in engagement, making it immediately obvious that the connector members must be reassembled to obtain a locked electrical connection.

Another object is to provide an electrical connector assembly which aligns its electrical terminals for engagement prior to locked engagement or separation which occurs when the connector members do not lock in engagement.

Still another object is to provide an electrical connector assembly which locks its connector members in engagement to prevent the separation which occurs when the connector members do not lock in engagement.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the connector members in locked engagement;

FIG. 2 is the view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is the view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is the view taken along line 44 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the two connector members positioned for engagement.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the electrical connector assembly comprises a pair of one-piece engageable connector members 10 and 12 of resilient electrical insulating material. Each connector member 10 and 12 has a plurality of conventional hermaphroditic electrical terminals 13'and 14, respectively, which are received one within the other during engagement of the connector members 10 and 12 to make electrical connections.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, the connector member 10 further comprises a base 15 and an alignment-latching member 16 which has two parallel side portions 17 attaching a V-shaped head portion 18 to base 15. The head 18 of the alignment-latching member 16 has a pair of inclined surfaces 19 providing ramps which extend laterally outward of side portions 17 and terminate at a pair of flat surfaces 20 perpendicular to side portions 17. Head 18 of alignment-latching member 16 has a dovetail end configuration as illustrated in FIG. 3. The connector member 10 further includes a cylindrical recess 21 which is defined by projections 22 extending from base 15 and side portions 17. A spring 23 is mounted in recess 21. Connector member 10 also includes a shield 24 which extends downward from base 15.

Connector member 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises a base 26 having a cylindrical projection 27 extending upward from the center of its top surface. The cylindrical projection 27 and base 26 of the connector member 12 have a groove 29 extending from the top end of the cylindrical projection 27 and terminating in base 26 as shown in FIG. 2. The groove 29', as illustrated in FIG. 5, is complementary to the dovetail end configuration of head 18 of the alignment-latching member 16.

As shown in FIG. 2, the groove 29 has a pair of inclined surfaces 31 providing ramps which extend laterally inward from the sides of groove 29 and terminate at a pair of flat surfaces 33 perpendicular to the sides of groove 29. Connector member 12 has a shield 34, as illustrated in FIG. 5, which extends upward from base 26. Base 26 has a pair of openings 36 immediately adjacent and below surfaces 33 to receive inclined ramps 19.

To assemble the device disclosed above, the assembler inserts head 18 into groove 29 to align the electrical terminals 13 and 14 for engagement by virtue of the complementary dovetail end configurations. As the assembler moves the connector members 10 and 12 toward locked engagement, electrical terminals 13 and 14 engage to make an electrical connection, and cylindrical projection 27 is received within cylindrical recess 21 to further align connector members 10 and 12. Spring 23 is compressed by cylindrical projection 27 as it enters cylindrical recess 21 to bias the connector members apart. Also, shield 34 is received within shield 24 to protect the electrical connection, and ramps 19 are deflected inward by ramps 31 to provide for the former to pass the latter. After passing ramps 31, ramps 19 spring outward, and surfaces 20 and 33 cooperate to lock connector members 10 and 12 in engagement. Spring 23 will separate the connector members 10 and 12 unless they lock in engagement by virtue of its expansion force, which is suificient to overcome the total frictional forces between the connector members 10 and 12. The connector members can be unlocked by the assembler deflecting ramps 19 inward, the ramps being exposed in openings 36 during locked engagement.

The foregoing disclosure relates to only one embodiment of the invention which may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electrical connector, the combination com- 3 prising a pair of engageable connector members, said connector members each having a base, a plurality of electrical terminals on each of said connector members for engaging to make an electrical connection during aligned engagement of said connector members, first alignment means comprising a head and a pair of parallel side portions connecting said head to the base of one of said connector members, said head having a dovetail end configuration, second alignment means comprising a cylindrical projection integral with the base of the other of said connector members, said projection having a groove, said groove having an end profile complementary to said dovetail end configuration of said head for receiving said first alignment means to align said connector members during engagement, said one connector member having a cylindrical recess complementary to said cylindrical projection to receive said cylindrical projection to assist in aligning said connector members during engagement, both alignment means having latching means for cooperating to lock said connector members in engagement, and spring means for cooperating with the end of said cylindrical projection during the engagement of said connector members to separate said connector members unless said connector members are locked in engagement.

2. In an electrical connector, the combination comprising a pair of engageable connector members, a plurality of electrical terminals on each of said connector members for engaging to make an electrical connection during aligned engagement of said connector members, alignment means on said connector members to align said connector members during engagement, first latching means comprising a first pair of inclined ramps extending laterally outward on the alignment means of one of said connector members and terminating at a first pair of fiat surfaces, second latching means comprising a second pair of inclined ramps extending laterally inward on the alignment means of the other of said connector members and terminating at a second pair of fiat surfaces, said second ramps cooperating with said first ramps for deflecting said first ramps inward during aligned engagement to provide for said first ramps to pass said second ramps and spring outward, said first pair of fiat surfaces cooperating with said second pair of fiat surfaces to lock said connector members in engagement when said first ramps spring outward, and spring means for cooperating with the alignment means of said other connector memher to separate said connector members unless said connector members are locked in engagement.

3. In an electrical connector, the combination comprising a pair of engageable connector members of resilient electrical insulating material, said connector members each having a base, a plurality of electrical terminals on each of said connector members for engaging to make an electrical connection during aligned engagement of said connector members, first alignment means comprising a head and a pair of parallel side portions connecting said head to the base of one of said connector members, said head having a dovetail end configuration, second alignment means comprising a cylindrical projection integral with the base of the other of said connector members, said projection having a groove, said groove having an end profile complementary to said dovetail end configuration of said head for receiving said first alignment means to align said connector members during engagement, first latching means comprising a first pair of inclined ramps on said head extending laterally outward of said side portions and terminating at a first pair of fiat surfaces, second latching means comprising a second pair of inclined ramps at one end of said groove extending laterally inward of said groove and terminating at a second pair of flat surfaces, said second ramps cooperating with said first ramps for deflecting said first ramps inward during aligned engagement for said first ramps to pass said second ramps and spring outward, said first pair of iiat surfaces cooperating wtih said second pair of that surfaces to lock said connector members in engagement when said first ramps spring outward, said one connector member having a cylindrical recess complementary to said cylindrical projection to receive said cylindrical projection to assist in aligning said connector members during engagement, and a spring mounted in said cylindrical recess for cooperating with the end of said cylindrical projection during engagement of said connector members, said spring having an expansion force greater than the total frictional forces resulting from the engagement of said connector members to separate said connector members unless said connector members are in locked engagement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,301 1/ 1960 Kawate 339-45 T X 2,984,810 5/1961 Kawate 339-45 T X 3,339,171 8/1967 Carlson 339-184 M X 2,730,687 1/195'6 Modrey 339-46 X 2,753,408 7/1956 Tuchel 3391ll X 2,910,554 10/1959 Lessler 3394S T X 3,112,974 12/1963 Curtis et a1. 339-49 R 3,146,052 '8/ 1964 Burch et al. 33-9-49 R X 3,409,858 11/1968 Krehbiel 339-91 R FOREIGN PATENTS 749,918 12/1944 Germany 339-9 1 B MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner T. P. LEWIS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

33991 R, 176 M, 184 M 

